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diff --git a/c++.html.markdown b/c++.html.markdown index ae93ceba..66d4aeb1 100644 --- a/c++.html.markdown +++ b/c++.html.markdown @@ -433,6 +433,84 @@ int main () { } ///////////////////// +// Templates +///////////////////// + +// Templates in C++ are mostly used for generic programming, though they are +// much more powerful than generics constructs in other languages. It also +// supports explicit and partial specialization, functional-style type classes, +// and also it's Turing-complete. + +// We start with the kind of generic programming you might be familiar with. To +// define a class or function that takes a type parameter: +template<class T> +class Box { + // In this class, T can be used as any other type. + void insert(const T&) { ... } +}; + +// During compilation, the compiler actually generates copies of each template +// with parameters substituted, and so the full definition of the class must be +// present at each invocation. This is why you will see template classes defined +// entirely in header files. + +// To instantiate a template class on the stack: +Box<int> intBox; + +// and you can use it as you would expect: +intBox.insert(123); + +// You can, of course, nest templates: +Box<Box<int> > boxOfBox; +boxOfBox.insert(intBox); + +// Up until C++11, you muse place a space between the two '>'s, otherwise '>>' +// will be parsed as the right shift operator. + +// You will sometimes see +// template<typename T> +// instead. The 'class' keyword and 'typename' keyword are _mostly_ +// interchangeable in this case. For full explanation, see +// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typename +// (yes, that keyword has its own Wikipedia page). + +// Similarly, a template function: +template<class T> +void barkThreeTimes(const T& input) +{ + input.bark(); + input.bark(); + input.bark(); +} + +// Notice that nothing is specified about the type parameters here. The compiler +// will generate and then type-check every invocation of the template, so the +// above function works with any type 'T' that has a const 'bark' method! + +Dog fluffy; +fluffy.setName("Fluffy") +barkThreeTimes(fluffy); // Prints "Fluffy barks" three times. + +// Template parameters don't have to be classes: +template<int Y> +void printMessage() { + cout << "Learn C++ in " << Y << " minutes!" << endl; +} + +// And you can explicitly specialize templates for more efficient code. Of +// course, most real-world uses of specialization are not as trivial as this. +// Note that you still need to declare the function (or class) as a template +// even if you explicitly specified all parameters. +template<> +void printMessage<10>() { + cout << "Learn C++ faster in only 10 minutes!" << endl; +} + +printMessage<20>(); // Prints "Learn C++ in 20 minutes!" +printMessage<10>(); // Prints "Learn C++ faster in only 10 minutes!" + + +///////////////////// // Exception Handling ///////////////////// @@ -585,6 +663,54 @@ void doSomethingWithAFile(const std::string& filename) // vector (i.e. self-resizing array), hash maps, and so on // all automatically destroy their contents when they fall out of scope. // - Mutexes using lock_guard and unique_lock + + +///////////////////// +// Fun stuff +///////////////////// + +// Aspects of C++ that may be surprising to newcomers (and even some veterans). +// This section is, unfortunately, wildly incomplete; C++ is one of the easiest +// languages with which to shoot yourself in the foot. + +// You can override private methods! +class Foo { + virtual void bar(); +}; +class FooSub : public Foo { + virtual void bar(); // overrides Foo::bar! +}; + + +// 0 == false == NULL (most of the time)! +bool* pt = new bool; +*pt = 0; // Sets the value points by 'pt' to false. +pt = 0; // Sets 'pt' to the null pointer. Both lines compile without warnings. + +// nullptr is supposed to fix some of that issue: +int* pt2 = new int; +*pt2 = nullptr; // Doesn't compile +pt2 = nullptr; // Sets pt2 to null. + +// But somehow 'bool' type is an exception (this is to make `if (ptr)` compile). +*pt = nullptr; // This still compiles, even though '*pt' is a bool! + + +// '=' != '=' != '='! +// Calls Foo::Foo(const Foo&) or some variant copy constructor. +Foo f2; +Foo f1 = f2; + +// Calls Foo::Foo(const Foo&) or variant, but only copies the 'Foo' part of +// 'fooSub'. Any extra members of 'fooSub' are discarded. This sometimes +// horrifying behavior is called "object slicing." +FooSub fooSub; +Foo f1 = fooSub; + +// Calls Foo::operator=(Foo&) or variant. +Foo f1; +f1 = f2; + ``` Futher Reading: |